There are two schools of thought about how a bypass would impact Wadesboro. The Pessimists suggest that rerouting beach traffic from the current 74 "strip" would devastate the local economy, driving virtually all of the convenience stores and fast food restaurants to relocate or go out of business entirely. The Optimists on the other hand, believe that drawing some of these businesses out away from the Uptown would allow smaller, locally-operated businesses to flourish in a more traditional main street atmosphere. The reality is likely somewhere in-between. The long-rumored bypass around Wadesboro has gained support in Raleigh over the past few years as the state has invested in upgrades at the Port of Wilmington. A key part of the port strategy is improving the road connectivity between Charlotte and Wilmington, aka US 74. Bypasses around Rockingham and other small towns have cut the travel time from Charlotte to the port from 4+ hours to 3 1/2, and the Monroe Expressway...